Illinois basketball team ranked 16th in USA Today coaches poll

Thursday

Oct 21, 2010 at 12:01 AMOct 21, 2010 at 9:22 PM

Illinois coach Bruce Weber saw the message shortly after the USA Today basketball coaches poll was released Thursday. "Somebody sent me a text,'' Weber said. "They said, 'Ouch.' '' Illinois begins the season 16th in the coaches poll, one of five teams from the Big Ten among the top 25 rankings.

Illinois begins the season 16th in the coaches poll, one of five teams from the Big Ten among the top 25 rankings.

Weber knows Illinois' final three road games of the Big Ten regular season come at No. 2 Michigan State, No. 5 Ohio State and No. 8 Purdue.

The rankings were likely compiled before the Boilermakers lost forward Robbie Hummel to a preseason knee injury, but you get the point. Illinois is better this season, but the Big Ten is also better. The league might be the best in the country.

"That's a little bit scary,'' Weber said, "but it's a long way to go. We have the ability and talent to be up there with the top teams. Now, we have to live up to it. Can we put it together, have the toughness and defense to really be a champion?''

By the start of the Big Ten season, Illinois will play No. 9 North Carolina, No. 12 Gonzaga, No. 15 Missouri and No. 25 Texas. If the Illini beat the Longhorns in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic in Madison Square Garden in mid-November, the Illini would likely meet No. 4 Pittsburgh in the title game.

So sticking in the top 25 will take a lot of work.

"Our goal has to be to stay in there,'' Weber said. "When it gets to Thanksgiving, are we still in the poll? That's a key.''

No. 24 Wisconsin also found a place in the poll with Minnesota and Northwestern receiving votes. The Big Ten and the Big 12 have five teams each in the top 25.

"The word is out nationally that our conference is considered the best or one of the top couple,'' Weber said. "We've got three in the top 10. We have a group of older players that's very rare in college basketball.